Adjustable character stamp

Abstract

An adjustable stamp for stamping characters on a workpiece, including a base plate with a platen, a plurality of stamps each having a raised character on one side, a stamp holder, and a support securing the stamps to the holder in an array while allowing limited free motion of the stamps relative to each other in the stamping and retract directions. The support is mounted to the base plate for movement in a plane substantially perpendicular to the stamping direction to selectively position one of the stamps over the platen. The base plate and the workpiece may be pressed together, whereby the raised character of the one stamp is stamped into the workpiece by the platen pressing against the opposite side of the one stamp, with the free motion of the other stamps preventing their raised characters from being stamped into the workpiece.

1. An adjustable stamp for stamping characters on a workpiece, comprising:
 a base plate with a platen; 
 a plurality of stamps each having a raised character on one side; 
 a stamp holder; 
 a support securing said stamps to said holder in an array with said one side of said stamps facing a stamping direction and the opposite side of said stamps facing a retract direction opposite the stamping direction, said support
 allowing limited free motion of said stamps relative to each other in said stamping and retract directions, and 
 mounted to said base plate supported for movement in a plane substantially perpendicular to the stamping direction to selectively position a selected one of the stamps over said platen with said platen facing said opposite side of said selected one of the stamps; 
 
 whereby when the base plate and the workpiece are pressed together,
 the raised character of the selected one of the stamps is stamped into the workpiece by the platen pressing against the opposite side of the one stamp, and 
 the free motion of the other stamps prevents their raised characters from being stamped into the workpiece. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The adjustable stamp of  claim 1 , wherein
 said stamp holder comprises a character holding plate having an opening therethrough; and 
 said support comprises
 a plurality of dowel pins surrounding said character holding plate opening, and 
 a plurality of elastic O-rings looped over said dowel pins on opposite sides of said character holding plate opening to support said stamps in said opening of said character holding plate. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The adjustable stamp of  claim 2 , wherein said character holding plate opening is substantially rectangular and said array is a generally rectangular matrix with a plurality of columns and rows in said opening. 
     
     
       4. The adjustable stamp of  claim 2 , wherein one set of said O-rings extends in one ring direction between said dowels across said character holding plate opening and the remaining ones of said O-rings extend between said dowels in a second ring direction perpendicular to said first ring direction. 
     
     
       5. The adjustable stamp of  claim 2 , wherein said stamps include grooves between said one sides and said opposite sides, and at least some of said O-rings are received in said grooves to support said stamps, and said elasticity of said O-rings allows said limited free motion. 
     
     
       6. The adjustable stamp of  claim 5 , wherein said O-rings provide selected spacing between the supported stamps in the array. 
     
     
       7. The adjustable stamp of  claim 1 , further comprising a null stamp supported in the array with said plurality of stamps, said null stamp being flat on its one side. 
     
     
       8. The adjustable stamp of  claim 1 , wherein said stamping direction is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece when stamping. 
     
     
       9. The adjustable stamp of  claim 1 , wherein said support is mounted to said base plate by first and second tracks extending in first and second axial directions substantially perpendicular to each other, said first and second axial directions also being substantially perpendicular to the stamping and retracting directions. 
     
     
       10. The adjustable stamp of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said second track is carried by said first track, and said support is carried by said second track; 
 a first drive selectively positions the second track along said first axial direction relative to said base plate; 
 a second drive selectively positions the support along the second axial direction relative to said first track; 
 whereby said supported stamps are positioned relative to the platen whereby the stamp having the raised character to be stamped is selectively positioned over said platen. 
 
     
     
       11. The adjustable stamp of  claim 10 , wherein said first and second tracks are slide bearings. 
     
     
       12. The adjustable stamp of  claim 10 , wherein said first and second drives are multi-position air cylinders. 
     
     
       13. The adjustable stamp of  claim 10 , wherein
 said stamp holder comprises a character holding plate having an opening therethrough; and 
 said support comprises
 a plurality of dowel pins surrounding said character holding plate opening, and 
 a plurality of elastic O-rings looped over said dowel pins on opposite sides of said character holding plate opening to support said stamps in said opening of said character holding plate. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The adjustable stamp of  claim 13 , wherein said stamps include grooves between said one sides and said opposite sides, and at least some of said O-rings are received in said grooves to support said stamps, and said elasticity of said O-rings allows said limited free motion. 
     
     
       15. The adjustable stamp of  claim 1 , further comprising a base plate drive adapted to rotate the base plate around the workpiece to orient the stamping direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece to be stamped. 
     
     
       16. A punch and stamp for working on a workpiece, comprising:
 a base plate and a top plate secured together for controlled motion toward and away from each other; 
 a workpiece drive adapted to move the workpiece longitudinally between the base plate and top plate; 
 a biasing drive adapted to move said base and top plates toward and away from each other; 
 a punching member secured to said top plate and adapted to be selectively extended from the top plate to punch a hole in the workpiece when the base and top plates are moved toward each other; and 
 an adjustable stamp secured to said base plate, and including
 a platen; 
 a plurality of stamps each having a raised character on one side; 
 a stamp holder; 
 a support securing said stamps to said holder in an array with said one side of said stamps facing a stamping direction and the opposite side of said stamps facing a retract direction opposite the stamping direction, said support
 allowing limited free motion of said stamps relative to each other in said stamping and retract directions, and 
 supported for movement on said base plate in a plane substantially perpendicular to the stamping direction to selectively position a selected one of the stamps over said platen with said platen facing said opposite side of said selected one of the stamps; 
 
 whereby when the base biasing drive moves the base and top plates together so that the selected one of the stamps engages the workpiece
 the raised character of the selected one of the stamps is stamped into the workpiece by the platen pressing against the opposite side of the one stamp, and 
 the free motion of the other stamps prevents their raised characters from being stamped into the workpiece. 
 
 
 
     
     
       17. The punch and stamp of  claim 16 , wherein
 said stamp holder comprises a character holding plate having an opening therethrough; and 
 said support comprises
 a plurality of dowel pins surrounding said character holding plate opening, and 
 a plurality of elastic O-rings looped over said dowel pins on opposite sides of said character holding plate opening to support said stamps in said opening of said character holding plate. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The punch and stamp of  claim 17 , wherein said character holding plate opening is substantially rectangular and said array is a generally rectangular matrix with a plurality of columns and rows in said opening. 
     
     
       19. The punch and stamp of  claim 17 , wherein one set of said O-rings extends in one ring direction between said dowels across said character holding plate opening and the remaining ones of said O-rings extend between said dowels in a second ring direction perpendicular to said first ring direction. 
     
     
       20. The punch and stamp of  claim 17 , wherein said stamps include grooves between said one sides and said opposite sides, and at least some of said O-rings are received in said grooves to support said stamps, and said elasticity of said O-rings allows said limited free motion. 
     
     
       21. The punch and stamp of  claim 16 , wherein said support is mounted to said base plate by first and second tracks extending in first and second axial directions substantially perpendicular to each other, said first and second axial directions also being substantially perpendicular to the stamping and retracting directions. 
     
     
       22. The punch and stamp of  claim 21 , wherein:
 said second track is carried by said first track, and said support is carried by said second track; 
 a first drive selectively positions the second track along said first axial direction relative to said base plate; 
 a second drive selectively positions the support along the second axial direction relative to said first track; 
 whereby said supported stamps are positioned relative to the platen whereby the stamp having the raised character to be stamped is selectively positioned over said platen. 
 
     
     
       23. The punch and stamp of  claim 16 , further comprising a base plate drive adapted to rotate the base plate around the workpiece to orient the stamping direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece to be stamped.